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a q u a r t e r l y m a g a z i n e f r o m s t . g e o r g e ’ s p a r i s h c h u r c h - n e w m i l l s

“Offering a welcoming, God-centred environment to the people of New Mills”

light up new mills at christmas

light up new mills | from 4th december 2020

As part of the town’s Christmas festivities this year, homes, shops and businesses have been invited to dress their windows with light displays depicting the season of Christmas.

Back in September of this year we took part in the New Mills Festival’s ‘Light-up New Mills’ where many houses and businesses created some fantastic displays which certainly did light up the town. A photo of our September display created by Juice Graphics can be seen on page 3.

St. George’s church will again be taking part in the Christmas Light Up which starts on Friday 4th December and will run

throughout the Christmas period. Our display can be viewed in Juice Graphics window on Union Road and depicts the Nativity stained glass window which adorns one of the windows in the Lady Chapel in St. George’s Parish Church.

The display has been created by enlarging a photo of the stained glass window and printing the image on to tracing paper. The tracing paper print is then masked using black sugar paper and lit from behind.

A map of all the displays in New Mills can be viewed on the New Mills Festival website at: www.newmillsfestival.comWe hope you enjoy walking around the town and viewing the fantastic displays.

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Please submit your prayer requests to Fr. Owain by calling the vicarage on: (01663) 743225 or email: vicar@newmillschurch.co.uk

PrayerRequests

LEADING TUESDAY WORSHIP - PRE-LOCK DOWN

P h i li p K e n d a ll | M a r c h 2 0 2 0

“Good morning Mrs Browwwn…..Good morning Mr Kennnndaaall….Good morning every-bodyeeee”.

Over one hundred little people have filed in and sat cross-legged in slightly ragged rows and now look eagerly with upturned morning faces. The only problem is that they range from rising fives at the front to sophisticated nearly elevens at the back, and my task is to put out some ideas that will capture the awe and wonder of this widely disparate audience. That’s all very well – but I am Secondary trained: an ex Secondary School Headteacher.

How come I am leading Tuesday Worship in our local Church Primary Academy? Well, we have to go back to the time of Fr David Murdoch, when a small team was established to take assemblies / worship in local Primary schools. I was recruited, but not on the rota for St George’s school (where I was a Governor). Having retired from headship, I was working as a consultant in both secondary and primary, so when Fr David left and the St George’s rota was short of a person, I was asked to join the Tuesday team for Worship there.

I now have a bulging file of Tuesday Worships I have led – from Poppy Day Remembrance to The Story of the Unforgiving Servant, from learning about St Patrick to The Wonder of God’s Creation. Each term, our Headteacher supplies us with a rota for the coming months and the overall theme for the term, with the individual topic for focus on each Tuesday. At present we share our Tuesdays with the excellent “Open the Book” team, who take dramatized Bible stories around the local Primary Schools.

My worship includes short responses which the pupils know, a topic (usually Biblical) which I try to bring alive, maybe a reading, certainly a song of praise (St George’s pupils sing wonderfully) and some prayers. For example, I always remember doing “the prayer line”. My subject was the nature of prayer. My wife recorded for me, in her best “radio” voice, a short piece about being able to pray anywhere, anytime; it sounded very official. I took a radio / tape cassette in for my worship; I talked a bit about prayer. I fiddled with the radio and went through several stations and then secretly switched to the recording. It came over just like a radio broadcast. I had found “The Prayer Station”!!! There are lots of ways of making faith relevant for such a diverse young audience. As long as I can keep thinking of them!

ADVENT WREATH SERIES

On Sunday, 29th November, Advent Sunday, we celebrate the beginning of the Christian Year. During this season, the Church prepares Herself both for the celebration of Christ’s first coming in the nativity 2000 years ago, but also for His promised return at His Second Coming at the end of time. Due to Covid-19 restrictions it is not possible to journey through Advent as we usually would. An Advent Wreath for your home can help focus your preparations.

This first video explains briefly the season of Advent and the symbolism the wreath. Then, on each Sunday during Advent, we will post further clips with prayers and reflections on those who prepared for Christ’s first coming.

The video series can be viewed on our Facebook page or You Tube channel.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/newmillschurchYou Tube channel: St. George’s Parish Church, New Mills

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PUZZLES FROM THE PEWS

Across

1 Rely (Psalm 62:7) (6) 4 ‘He stretches out the heavens like a — , and spreads them out like a tent to live in’ (Isaiah 40:22) (6) 7 What the dove carried the olive leaf in, when it returned to Noah’s ark (Genesis 8:11) (4) 8 Annoy (1 Samuel 1:6) (8) 9 Judah’s last king, who ended his days as a blind prisoner in Babylon (Jeremiah 52:11) (8) 13 ‘They all — and were satisfied’ (Luke 9:17) (3) 16 Eliphaz the Temanite was one; so was Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite (Job 2:11; 16:2) (4,9) 17 National Association of Evangelicals (of the USA) (1,1,1)19 Popular song for New Year’s Eve, Auld — — (4,4) 24 Able dock (anag.) (8) 25 The number of stones David chose for his confrontation with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40) (4) 26 Elgar’s best-known ‘Variations’ (6) 27 Soak (Isaiah 16:9) (6)

Down

1 Money owing (Deuteronomy 15:3) (4) 2 Conciliatory (Titus 3:2) (9) 3 ‘Do this, whenever you — it, in remembrance of me’ (1 Corinthians 11:25) (5) 4 A group assisting in the governance of the Roman Catholic Church (5) 5 One of the gifts Joseph’s brothers took with them on their second journey to Egypt (Genesis 43:11) (4) 6 ‘Reach out your hand and — — into my side. Stop doubting and believe’ (John 20:27) (3,2) 10 Be outstandingly good (2 Corinthians 8:7) (5) 11 ‘What — — that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?’ (Psalm 8:4) (2,3) 12 Horse’s feet (Judges 5:22) (5) 13 Notice (Deuteronomy 17:4) (9) 14 Comes between 2 Chronicles and Nehemiah (4) 15 One of Israel’s northern towns conquered by Ben-Hadad (1 Kings 15:20) (4) 18 Narnia’s Lion (5) 20 One of the two rivers in which Naaman would have preferred to wash (2 Kings 5:12) (5) 21 Avarice—one of the evils that come from inside people (Mark 7:22) (5) 22 Knight Grand Cross of St Michael and St George (1,1,1,1) 23 Jacob’s first wife (Genesis 29:23) (4)

“The hinge of history is on the door of a stable in Bethlehem.”

R Sockman ANSWERS on Page 5.

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P i c t u r e | Li z E d m u n d s - N a r r at i n gLi z B ru ec k - K i n g D av i d

Open the Book is a nation wide project aimed at ‘Bringing the Bible to Life’ for local Primary school children and carried out by teams of volunteers.In New Mills the project is co-ordinated by Liz Edmunds from Revive church helped by members from other local churches including Gill Crosland, Jean Wellens, Helen Taylor and Barbara Matthews from St George’s.Each story is narrated by one of the team with the others acting the main characters. Small parts and crowds are played by the children. The children are very enthusiastic to take part as they love dressing up. Secretly so do the adults.Liz has a large collection of costumes from Kings to shepherds and is very imaginative in the props department.(See the Ark of the Covenant in the photograph)After the 10-15 minute perfomance the children are given a quiet moment to reflect on how the message in the story is relevant to their lives today.Lastly a short prayer is said which the children can make their own by saying AmenSadly it all came to an abrupt end in March with Covid 19 and lockdown. Hopefully the teams will be back visiting schools in the not too distant future to once again ‘Open the Book’

OPEN THE BOOK LIGHT UP NEW MILLS SEPTEMBER DISPLAY

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The photo shows our display for Light Up New Mills as part of the New Mills Festival in September of this year.

The display shows our logo and part of the St. George stained glass window which is at the East end of the church above the high altar. The display also has quotes from the bible on the theme of light.

As long and I am in the world,I am the light of the world.

John 9:5

The light shines in the darkness;and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5

ACROSS: 1, Depend. 4, Canopy. 7, Beak. 8, Irritate. 9, Zedekiah. 13, Ate. 16, Job’s comforter. 17, NAE. 19, Lang Syne. 24, Blockade. 25, Five. 26, Enigma. 27, Drench.

DOWN: 1, Debt. 2, Peaceable. 3, Drink. 4, Curia. 5, Nuts. 6, Put it. 10, Excel. 11, Is man. 12, Hoofs. 13, Attention. 14, Ezra. 15, Ijon. 18, Aslan. 20, Abana. 21, Greed. 22, GCMG. 23, Leah.

Answers to PUZZLES FROM THE PEWS - Page 3

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New Mills Helping Hands Food Bank

Helping Hands Food Bank - we are here to help those in need.Covering New Mills, Hayfield, Furness Vale & surrounding Areas in the High Peak, Derbyshire.

For more confidential information either Telephone Mobile 07425 177999 for more details – Alternatively Text or Call Back service available (occurs when the originator of a call is quickly called back in a second call as a response)

Email: helpinghandsnewmills@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/NewMillsFBank

We are very grateful to Tony Lawton and the team of volunteers who help to keep the graveyard and parish hall field clean and tidy throughout the year.

In the next few weeks and months Tony and his team will be creating composting areas on the parish hall field where people who attend graves will be able to place their compostable waste and then use the compost to refill any graves which have sunk.

The wooden pallets which will be used to create these areas have been kindly donated by S ‘n’ S Trees and MH Transport Ltd in New Mills. We are very grateful to these two local companies for their support.

Please help us to keep the graveyard clean and tidy by placing your compostable waste in these areas once they have been built and taking other waste home with you.

Many thanks for your cooperation.

The churchyard is maintained by High Peak Borough Council.

Any concerns or complaints, please call: 0345 129 7777 / 01298 28400

COMPOSTING AREA

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A HUGE THANK YOU FROM US ALL AT

SAINT GEORGE’S…We at Saint George’s wish to say thank you to the people of New Mills who have, by your support, encouragement and generosity, enabled our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Here, in broad brush strokes, are the highlights; there are many other things we could add, but this gives a flavour as we say thank you for enabling this to happen.

Our response during the crisis has had two key strands.

1. What is the unique work of the Church? The continued worship; prayer with and for our community; pastoral care and support and so forth

2. What is already happening within the community? How can we best support and complement the work already being done within our community, rather than competing with other organisations and institutions.

Pre-lockdown – those weeks between coronavirus first breaking and the need for lockdown

• The building was open at regular times each day, giving the community space to come in and pray, light candles for loved ones and our community; a still, peaceful space for prayer and reflection• Delivering and distributing Helping Hands Flyers to local schools, congregants, neighbours, etc.• Foodbank donations• Pre-lockdown resources in church to take away and use at home – prayer booklets, DVDs, prayer beads, etc.

During lockdown – The building was closed but the Church was still present and active …

• Supporting and signposting the work of community groups and organisations • Many congregants volunteer for other community groups – Volunteer Centre, Helping Hands, etc.• Telephone calls to elderly, isolated and those who were alone• Congregants shopping, collecting prescriptions for neighbours, and so forth• Contact with care homes – resources for residents unable to attend funerals• Continued fundraising/support for local, national and international charities• Continued fundraising to keep the church open and running

• Prayer requests via website/Facebook• On line activities – quiz night & virtual coffee mornings• Zoom Worship on Sunday’s and Feast Day Services• Easter Garden – focal point in church yard for people to pray, reflect or add memories of loved ones• Daily Mass celebrated at the Vicarage, praying for our community and offering worship on members behalf during lockdown/isolation• St. George’s Day – zoomed Mass; pictures in windows; prayers in Churchyard. • Coronavirus prayers and Prayer Walks in Churchyard

for those passing through• Keeping members & community fully informed via noticeboards, website & Facebook• Several requests from people who live away about graves – tidying, removing dead flowers, etc.• Funeral ministry• Prayers and resources on website.

Post-lockdown

• Preparing buildings for reopening – risk assessments, H&S, cleaning, social distancing, etc.• Open for private prayers in interim between beginning lockdown easing and the resumption of public worship• Parish Hall - hospitality to community groups • Public worship – live in Church; live streamed via Facebook; recordings on website• Much of what we did during lockdown continues to be done during this time of lockdown easing – supporting other organisations by volunteering, donating and so forth; continued telephone support, shopping, and so forth for the housebound/those who continue to isolate; live streamed worship; prayer and pastoral care; etc. • Kingdom Season – All Souls & Remembrance – such as the website Memories Page, painted stones, prayer cards distributed via local shops/the Church, live streamed & recorded services for All Souls, Remembrance Sunday and Armistice day, etc.• Supporting St. George’s CofE School; recorded bi- weekly worship; Governor’s Roles, etc.• Ongoing work with wider community offering support during Christmas period

None of this could have happened without the support of the wider community. And so we thank you and pray that God will keep us all safe. The season of Advent is a season of hopeful anticipation. In hopeful anticipation, I look forward to the coming year, and pray that the work of those engaged in researching a vaccination, and those in the medical professions, will enable us to return to more familiar ways of being Church, being community, being human.

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1. Scan the above code with your smart phone camera.

2. Click on the link.

3. Select your donation amount.

4. Choose the ‘Gift Aid’ option*.

5. Complete payment using the safe donation site.

6. Your donation is gratefully received... Thank you!

St. George’s Parish Church relies entirely on the generosity of our regular congregation giving because we do not receive any funding from the government. The money we receive goes towards the community work, pastoral work, missionary and ministry work within the parish of New Mills.

We are also responsible for the upkeep of this beautiful and historic building of St. George’s. The money that our regular congregation gives also has to cover the electric, lighting, heating and repairs. This special building is here as a place of prayer, sanctuary as well as being a useable space for the whole community.

For the work and life of St. George’s to continue, we need your help.

* If you are a UK taxpayer and eligible to Gift Aid your donation, please consider selecting this option.This will increase your gift by 25p for every £1 given (at the current rate), at no extra cost to you or us.

Visit www.newmillschurch.co.uk for more information.

350 g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cinnamon

150 g butter cut into dice

175 g light muscovado sugar

2 tbsp black treacle

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 large free range egg

Glacé or royal icing to decorate (optional)

INGREDIENTS

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°F fan)/400°F/gas mark 6.

2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a large

mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture

resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the muscovado sugar.

3. Beat the treacle, golden syrup and egg together and add to the

bowl. Mix to form a smooth dough.

4. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking parchment

and cut out biscuits using Christmas cookie cutters. Re-roll

trimmings and cut out more biscuits.

5. Make a hole in the top of each biscuit, with a skewer, if you

want to be able to hang the biscuits on the tree. Bake the biscuits

in the centre of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire

rack to cool completely.

7. Decorate as desired .

METHODCHRISTMAS GINGERBREADBISCUITS

Have you got a recipe you would like to share with us?

Do email us your favourite recipes to:publicity@newmillschurch.co.uk

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Parish PeopleFr. Owain MitchellVicar of New Mills (01663) 743225vicar@newmillschurch.co.uk

Richard HoleChurchwarden & Parish Hall Manager (01663) 742010parishhall@newmillschurch.co.uk

Megan DaviesTreasurer (01663) 749323admin@newmillschurch.co.uk

Tim HawkinsChoir Director & Organist (01663)746226choir@newmillschurch.co.uk

Leon ShufflebothamMagazine Editor (01663) 749323publicity@newmillschurch.co.uk

The Parish Office | Church Lane | New Mills | High Peak | SK22 4NPTel: (01663) 749323 E: admin@newmillschurch.co.uk

www.newmillschurch.co.uk

Find us on:gj

- Weekly Services -Wednesdays 9.15am - Said Eucharist Sundays 8.00am - Said Eucharist 10.00am - Parish Eucharist 6.30pm - Evening Prayer

We confirm we have read and complied with the government’s guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19 in

places of worship.

All services will take place in the nave of the church to allow for social distancing.

A warm welcome always awaits you at St. George’s at any of these services.

This magazine is free of charge. If you would like to support us by advertising in our next issue (March 2021), or if you have a story you would like to

share with us, then please get in touch:publicity@newmillschurch.co.uk or call: (01663) 749323

All information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to print.The Deadline for the next issue of ‘A Martyr’s Message’ is Friday 19th February 2021

This magazine is also available to download and view on our website. Des

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Christmasat St. George’s Parish Church

Christmas is certainly not cancelled.However, we are doing things a little

different this year!

For all up to date information about services throughout the Christmas period, please keep an eye on our website,

Facebook and Instagram pages.

You can also contact Fr. Owain on:T: (01663) 743225

orE: vicar@newmillschurch.co.uk